1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for switching communication modes of a dual-mode communication module, and more particularly, to an intelligent method for dynamically switching communication modes of a dual-mode communication apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A modern popular cell phone conventionally supports a plurality of communication modes for utilizing the plurality of supported communication modes. With variant locations and various utilized communication networks while utilizing a conventional cell phone, switching between various communication networks and between cells of a communication network is strictly regulated for handling switches of communication networks or cells under various conditions, which are highly related to requirements of users and according to whether a communication network is currently available.
In the specification 3GPP TS 43.318 V6.7.0, which was published on June, 2006, switching between communication networks to a certain degree and related to both the GERAN/UTRAN mode (for Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) mode and briefed as G/U mode) and the Generic Access Network mode (briefed as GAN mode) are described. In the specification, a cell phone is assumed to merely perform switching between the G/U mode and the GAN mode. After a cell phone boots up, four default user-preferred settings, which include GERAN/UTRAN-only (briefed as G/U-only), GERAN/UTRAN-preferred (briefed as G/U-preferred), GAN-only, and GAN-preferred, are provided.
The setting G/U-only indicates that after the cell phone boots up, the cell phone merely enters the G/U mode other than the GAN mode, and a No Service state of the GAN mode. The setting G/U-preferred indicates that after the cell phone boots up, the cell phone enters the G/U mode in principle, however, under certain conditions, said cell phone switches to utilize the GAN mode, where the certain conditions include failing to access the G/U communication network with a cell, which utilizes the G/U mode inside said cell phone, i.e., the G/U communication network cannot be discovered by said cell phone, and failing to register said G/U communication network. Similarly, the setting GAN-only indicates that after the cell phone boots up, said cell phone merely enters the GAN mode other than the G/U mode, and a No Service state of the G/U mode. The setting GAN-preferred indicates that after the cell phone boots up, said phone enters the GAN mode in principle, however, under certain conditions, said cell phone switches to enter the G/U communication network, where the certain conditions include failing to access the GAN communication network with a cell, which utilizes the GAN mode inside said cell phone, i.e., the GAN communication network cannot be discovered, and failing to register the GAN communication network.
Switches between the G/U mode and the GAN mode include rove-in, rove-out, and handover between the G/U mode and GAN mode. The rove-in indicates switching from the G/U mode to the GAN mode when the cell phone does not transmit data currently. The rove-out indicates switching from the GAN mode to the G/U mode when the cell phone does not transmit data currently. The handover indicates switching from the G/U mode to the GAN mode or from the GAN mode to the G/U mode when the cell phone transmits data currently.
However, there are benefits and problems in both the GAN mode and the G/U mode. Therefore, for a user, a unique preferred communication mode exists among both the GAN mode and the G/U mode under different default user-preferred settings. Speaking of the setting GAN-preferred, though the abovementioned specification discloses a communication mode switching method according to whether a communication network is available under the setting GAN-preferred, said abovementioned specification does not concretely disclose a proper communication mode switching strategy for various requirements of the user.